Typical conventional switch mechanisms, as shown for example in FIGS. 1 and 2, are comprised of a mechanism housing 22, a link 12, switch rotor 26, a rotor socket 28 into which the switch rotor is attached, a driver cam 24, a spring cam 16, and spring arm components which include a spring guide 14, spring retainer 18, and spring 20 (not shown). The spring retainer 18 is retained in a slot in the housing by inserting and positioning a spring retainer pin 19 extending from the retainer and having a button end head and a reduced diameter shank (not shown).
The spring arm components of the prior art switch mechanism assembly were assembled to the mechanism housing while the spring is maintained in a compressed position. Maintaining the spring in compression on the spring guide while at the same time positioning the button of the spring retainer into the slot in the housing is a difficulty which complicates the assembly of the device.
More specifically, the spring which is positioned on the spring guide must be maintained in such a position so as to keep it in compression while the spring guide and spring retainer are positioned so that the button of the spring retainer can be inserted into a slot in the housing where the spring arm components will ultimately be secured into an operable switch position.
Not only does maintaining the spring in compression on the spring guide make it difficult to get the button of the spring retainer into the slot in the housing, such a structure typically necessitates the use of a spring compression pin. This necessitates the extra steps of installing the pin and then after assembly of the spring retainer pin into the housing slot, removing the spring compression. The installation of the spring compression pin oftentimes requires off-loading the compression spring on the spring guide from the switch assembly line and subsequently returning it to the assembly line for incorporation into the switch mechanism. This slows down the manufacturing time of the switch as well as increases the probability/possibility of failure or of defective/improper assembly.
It would therefore be an advantage over the prior art devices to provide an arrangement and configuration which overcomes the above-stated disadvantages and which accomplishes the foregoing objective by providing a novel, simple, inexpensive and reliable combination of components which facilitate the assembly of the spring arm components into the switch mechanism housing.